Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Yay! Look what I got today.An advance copy of my latest picture book, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Gorgeous illustrations by the talented Sarah Davis and a CD with the story narrated by Antonia Kidman.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Many years ago, when I first started out trying to write stories for publication, I wrote a story called The Baker and the Bunyip. It was, at the time, the "best" story I had written. I loved it and was very keen to see it get published.

In my enthusiasm to find a publisher, I rang the editor at an established trade publishing house and very cheekily asked: "Do you have an aversion to stories with talking bunyips?"

The editor laughed (thankfully!) and said, "Well, actually, yes. Talking bunyips aren't really my thing. But send it in anyway as, after all, it is all in the telling."

Well, obviously, my "telling" at the time wasn't quite up to scratch as the manuscript was quickly rejected and returned. But that bit of advice - it's all in the telling - stuck. It is the one truth that informs all my writing to this day.

No matter how wonderful your story idea, how exciting your plot, how quirky your characters - it all comes down to the telling. To voice and style. To the way your words flow into sentences and weave their magic on your readers. It is all in the telling.

Now ten years on, the editor I spoke to is a very well-respected publisher.

The Baker and the Bunyip was reworked and became The Baker and the Bush Beastie. I sold it to Macmillan Education in 2005. (Seems it's okay for bush beasties rather than bunyips to talk!)

And I am now an editor who very frequently utters the words: "Well, it's all in the telling, really ..."

My Website

AUGUST RELEASE

WINNER! Speech Pathology Australia, Book of the Year Award

"Recommended ... A charming story of feeling safe, or overcoming a fear of the sea, this will have wide appeal to young children..." Fran Knight ReadPlus

US RELEASE APRIL 2015

"Highly recommended ... Whiting has written a delicious ghost story and a thrilling mystery ..." Pat Pledger Readplus

OUT NOW!

ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHEN MICHAEL KING

CLICK ON THE COVER TO VIEW TRAILER

"Authentic, clever and entertaining: this one is a winner for readers of any age." Alice Nelson, The West Australian NOVEL 10+

Click on the cover to read an extract.

"Hiding beneath deceptively simple sentence structure lies a story of hope that echoes for all ages. A Strange Little Monster will be a timeless tale of hope for years to come" Jo Burnell www.thereadingstack.blogspot.com/

Click on the cover for BIG BOOK classroom activities.

"From its appealing cover onwards this book is a treasure trove of delights" Junior Bookseller and Publisher

Click on the cover to read a review.

"This is a gorgeous underwater road trip for ages two and up about accepting who you are and looking at life from a different perspective." Junior Bookseller and Publisher